Fighting Cybercrime with Neuro-Diversity

Neurologically exceptional people, such as those with autism or Asperger syndrome, tend to be disadvantaged by the traditional interview process. But, if given the opportunity to train and work as cybersecurity professionals, they could prove integral to protecting the data that underpins the digital age.

LONDON – Cybersecurity is one of the defining challenges of the digital age. Everyone, from households to businesses to governments, has a stake in protecting our era’s most valuable commodity: data. The question is how that can be achieved.

The scale of the challenge should not be underestimated. With attackers becoming increasingly nimble and innovative, armed with an increasingly diverse array of weapons, cyber-attacks are happening at a faster pace and with greater sophistication than ever before. The security team of my company, BT, a network operator and Internet service provider, detects 100,000 malware samples every day – that’s more than one per second.

Creative thinking among cyber attackers demands creative thinking among those of us fending them off. Here, the first step is ensuring that there are enough talented and trained individuals engaged in the fight. After all, according to a recent survey by the International Data Corporation, 97% of organizations have concerns about their security skills. By 2022, another study estimates, there will be 1.8 million vacant cybersecurity jobs.

A long time coming and as usual Business is having to drag itself kicking and screaming into this. I say the traditional interview process is flawed. It is skewed to suit manipulators who then get into the lifeblood of an organisation and strangle it for their short term personal gain and gratification. Getting other candidates not just those with Autism may unmask those who are serious liabilities to any business or organisation. I don't expect many organisations to take this up as the prevalence of unscrupulous manipulators is higher at Director and CEO level: The status quo suits them. For the rest in human psychology Apathy is Legion.

Gavin Patterson, CEO at British Telecom Group makes an interesting revelation - the lack of talents to uphold cyber security. He points out that people with neurological diversity - such as autism and Asperger syndrome - make perfect candidates. IT titans like Microsoft, Amazon, and SAP in the areas of coding and software development etc. have discovered the innovative thinking of their autistic employees. The GCHQ, Britain's intelligence and security organisation is one of the country’s "biggest employers of autistic people."The author cites a study which claims that by 2022 "there will be 1.8 million vacant cybersecurity jobs," despite the widespread fear that automation is a job killer. Yet the cyber world is facing a threat posed by rogues whose "attacks are happening at a faster pace and with greater sophistication than ever before." The BT alone "detects 100,000 malware samples every day," prompting the IT industry to respond and counter the creative thinking of its adversaries. Grappling with the "critical shortage of security specialists," the IT branch needs to "develop new approaches to attracting, educating, and retaining talented individuals... to create a deep pool of highly skilled cyber experts." Knowing how cybercriminals think is the key to beating them, and this requires "diversity of talents and perspectives." The author says people with autism, Asperger syndrome, and attention-deficit disorder "tend to think more literally and systematically, making them particularly adept at mathematics and pattern recognition – critical skills for cybersecurity."There was an example two years ago when Hewlett Packard hired a cybersecurity employee, who was grilling burgers at McDonald’s earlier. Like many on the autism spectrum, the young man in his 20s possessed an impressive range of IT skills. But unlike the average graduate, he was "disadvantaged by the traditional interview process" because he did not have the social aptitude and "good verbal communication skills" to market himself. Studies show that autistic people often do much better in recruitment processes, because they can demonstrate their skills over time and not in a high stress situation like social interactions in an interview. Unprepared they get nervous, answering questions from strangers, who decide their future. "As a result, such people often struggle to find employment, and even when they do find a job, their work environment may not be able to support them adequately."The author says "in the digital age, neuro-diversity should be viewed as a competitive advantage, not a hindrance." It is time for the corporate world to pay attention to the neuro-diversity - a term first coined by the Australian sociologist Judy Singer, who sees autism as a natural brain variation, not a brain disorder - that autistic people offer. Employers will not be disappointed, because they "have a chance to invest in talented people who are often left behind" when it comes to social skills. With their out of the box thinking, they can potentially solve big problems, making them ideal human resources for an industry in search of an innovative edge.

New Comment

Pin comment to this paragraph

After posting your comment, you’ll have a ten-minute window to make any edits. Please note that we moderate comments to ensure the conversation remains topically relevant. We appreciate well-informed comments and welcome your criticism and insight. Please be civil and avoid name-calling and ad hominem remarks.

Log in/Register

Please log in or register to continue. Registration is free and requires only your email address.

Log in

Register

Emailrequired

PasswordrequiredRemember me?

Please enter your email address and click on the reset-password button. If your email exists in our system, we'll send you an email with a link to reset your password. Please note that the link will expire twenty-four hours after the email is sent. If you can't find this email, please check your spam folder.